Chapter 49: Lights in the Home

When Ren Jie arrived home, the sky was completely dark. On his way back, he was showered with praise from the neighbors for making something of himself.

After all, Ren Jie had essentially made it onto television today, even getting a close-up shot. He was practically a local celebrity now.

It was just that the footage of him savagely hacking at the dog later on was a bit too bloody and violent, scaring quite a few young children to tears...

As soon as Ren Jie stepped back into Anning Laundry, he saw Anning standing in front of the washing machine wearing an apron, lost in a daze, wondering what was on her mind...

(๑◔ ◠ ◔ิ) "Aunt Anning? Are you..."

Her voice startled Anning. She tilted her head to look at the returning Ren Jie, her eyes brimming with red!

She actually rushed over, threw her arms around Ren Jie, and held him tight.

Her body couldn't help trembling, and warm tears kept dripping onto Ren Jie's shoulder.

Ren Jie was startled, his gaze turning cold...

"Aunt Anning? What's wrong? Did that deadbeat fat man bring people to cause trouble again? Were you wronged?"

"Don't panic, tell me slowly, I..."

At that moment, Ren Jie even felt the urge to kill.

However, Anning shook her head: "I'm fine, it's not because of that. They didn't come. As long as you're back, as long as you're safe, I saw it all on TV..."

"It was too dangerous, it was truly too dangerous..."

Her words still carried a crying tone.

Ren Jie was stunned, his nose instantly turning sour.

"I'm sorry to have worried you. I'm fine, see? I'm back safe and sound..."

Yet Anning still held Ren Jie tightly, shaking her head unceasingly: "Listen to me, let's quit being a Vanguard..."

"When Taoran was still here, every time he went on duty, I would stay at home terrified and worried. I was afraid he'd meet with an accident, afraid he wouldn't come back, afraid of receiving a call from the bureau..."

"And now... you've become a Vanguard too. I'm afraid that one day... you... you too..."

"I just want you to live in safety and peace."

By this point, Anning was already choking with sobs...

Having experienced loss once, she didn't want to experience it again.

Ren Jie's heart twisted painfully, his eyes turning red...

"Mm~ Don't worry, Auntie. I won't stay in the Vanguard Bureau for long. I'm a genetic martial artist now, and I'm super strong! How could mere demons possibly hurt me?"

"Besides... I've also received an admission notice from the Demon Hunting Academy. When the semester starts, I might go study there..."

Anning was startled and quickly cupped Ren Jie's cheeks:

"Really? You're not lying to me? You can go study at the Demon Hunting Academy?"

Ren Jie grinned: "Of course! Uncle Wei told me so. My name wasn't given to me for nothing!"

Anning wiped away her tears, her face blossoming with a smile:

"Good, that's wonderful~ I knew you could do it. Come~ Let Auntie check if you're hurt anywhere?"

"If a dog tries to bite you again in the future, you mustn't bite it back, you hear? How filthy is that? What if you catch some virus or bacteria?"

"Hahaha, is it really as exaggerated as you say?"

"You still need to be careful. Hurry upstairs, I specifically simmered pork rib soup for you today. You've worked hard all day, go replenish your energy. Yaoyao and I have already eaten~"

At the dining table, Ren Jie sipped the fragrant pork rib soup, rubbing his eyes as he drank...

With a home like this, how could he ever bear to leave?

To hell with the Heaven-Sweeping Demon Realm, the Demon Claw, and the black pendant! He wasn't going to think about them anymore!

Pork rib soup is the best!

As soon as he returned to his room, Tao Yaoyao couldn't stay lying down anymore. She pulled back the curtain and crawled frantically toward Ren Jie's side.

"Brother! My dear brother! Hurry up and tell me about today's demon disaster. Were you insanely cool or what?"

"What do demons taste like? Are they delicious? Aren't your abilities fire-based? How did you turn into a humanoid weapon? Can you transform one for me to see?"

"Can that blade grow back if it breaks? If it does, wouldn't we be able to sell scrap metal using this method to make money?"

Ren Jie's face darkened. He stuck out his foot and pressed it firmly against Tao Yaoyao's face to stop her from crawling any further.

"Selling scrap metal, my foot. I'm not transforming anything for you. Go to sleep, Leader of the Nap Cult!"

Tao Yaoyao pouted: (｡･ˇ～ˇ･｡) "Hmph~ I'm ignoring you. You don't know how to pamper your sister at all..."

Ren Jie grinned: "I've saved enough money~ The inhibitor issue is settled. I have a day off tomorrow, and I'll get an inhibitor and some pain relievers for you."

Tao Yaoyao was startled, and then her eyes lit up brilliantly:

"Dear brother, you truly are my biological brother! Quick, let me hammer your shoulders and massage your legs to properly reward yourself?"

Ren Jie: "???"

Why did it always feel like something wasn't quite right?

Just as he was about to speak, his phone chimed with a message. Picking it up, he saw it was a friend request from Ye Yue.

Her screen name was "Moon," and her profile picture was a huge, round full moon.

As soon as the request was accepted, Ye Yue sent a message to Ren Jie.

Moon: "Come to the Demon Suppression Bureau tomorrow. I have something to discuss with you."

[Come at me if you dare~] • gif

Brother Jie: If you tell me to come over and I just come, wouldn't that make me look completely spineless?

[Wrath of the Nine-Turn Large Intestine] • gif

Moon: "Three Huaxing Demon Trace Inhibitors, one thousand Pain-Stop pills, one portable in-vitro ion dialysis machine, and one VIP card for the Jincheng Shenwu General Hospital with all medical expenses fully waived. Come pick them up yourself tomorrow~"

Brother Jie: ▄█▀█●

"Oh~ My dear Princess Ye Yue, would eight o'clock tomorrow morning be acceptable? I deeply apologize for offending you just now. Tomorrow morning, you can whip my backside with a leather crop as hard as you want—who told me to make my tone smell as foul as Uncle Tom's leather boots just now~"

Moon: (≖_≖) ...

Hmph~

On her large bed, Ye Yue couldn't help letting out a giggle, already starting to ponder what she should wear tomorrow.

After all, since she was trying to recruit Ren Jie into the Demon Suppression Bureau, she had to leave him with a good impression.

Ren Jie, meanwhile, turned his head to look at Tao Yaoyao~

"The inhibitor is secured, and I'll arrange the genetic potion for you tomorrow. If you think one shot isn't enough, I can get you two~"

At that moment, Tao Yaoyao froze completely:

∑(°口°๑) "Brother~ Is robbing a bank illegal? We can't do things that violate the law and discipline, we..."

Ren Jie's face darkened:

"Rob a bank my foot! I don't want to go inside to sew mailbags and make Heaven Umbrellas at such a young age. Just honestly wait at home for me to feed you tomorrow~"

Tao Yaoyao still wore a look of disbelief. Not robbing a bank? Then where on earth did all this money come from?

Could it be that her brother really went to latch onto some busty, wealthy woman?

Too lazy to bother with Tao Yaoyao, Ren Jie started replying to his phone messages.

In the homeowners' group chat, the residents were discussing the underwear thief, tossing around all sorts of wild guesses. Old Wang and Old Li were publicly hurling abuses at each other in the chat, and the content was extremely dramatic and explosive.

"Diao Bao'er?"

At Ren Jie's call, Diao Bao'er poked its head out from Tao Yaoyao's bedding, looking at Ren Jie with timidity.

"Don't forget what I said. Put things back exactly the way you took them, understand?"

Diao Bao went crazy nodding and bowing, practically turning into a blur. At that moment, Old Driving Sister sent Ren Jie another message.

He had thought this internet beggar was here to panhandle for study materials again.

Who would have thought she directly sent a screenshot? The screenshot captured the exact moment Ren Jie stood on the windowsill committing a massacre.

Shirtless, covered in blades, clothes in tatters—and most crucially, she hadn't cropped it to show Ren Jie's full body, but focused right on his middle section.

(∗ᵒ̶̶̷̀ ꇴ ˂̶́) "Tsk tsk tsk~ Why didn't the blades pierce his pants too? Otherwise, I'd have study material for tonight~"

"It would also let everyone broaden their horizons. After all, sharing the joy with everyone is better than enjoying it alone~"

(„ಡωಡ„) Hehehe~

Ren Jie: "???"

"If you really want to see, it's not like I can't send it to you right now..."

Old Driving Sister: "If you really dare to send it, it's not like I can't give you five bucks..."

Ren Jie: ᕕ( ͠ຈ Ĺ̯ ͠ຈ˵)┌∩┐

I'm only worth five bucks? Bah! What kind of person do you take me for?

If it weren't for the fact that it involved a financial transaction and changed the nature of things, I'd actually earn this five-buck coin!

Old Driving Sister: (˵¯͒〰¯͒˵) "Keep a low profile, watch out for people from the Demon Claw trying to rope you in. Don't hang out with those folks, there's no future in it~"

Ren Jie covered his face. They had already tried to rope him in, and even roped themselves to death...

Yet, a warm feeling still lingered in Ren Jie's heart...